Abandoned Philadelphiahttps://abandonedphiladelphia.com
What Would YOU Do With 40,000 (or 50,000) Vacant Properties?Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:28:07 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/027bae27bd2966bbb449554133e9e598?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngAbandoned Philadelphiahttps://abandonedphiladelphia.com
What IS Abandoned Philadelphia?https://abandonedphiladelphia.com/2016/11/14/what-is-abandoned-philadelphia/
Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:28:00 +0000http://abandonedphiladelphia.com/?p=208258Continue reading →]]>I think it is best to clarify what Abandoned Philadelphia is, and what it is not. The site is intended to provide a forum and means for community residents and other interested parties in Philadelphia to post addresses of blighted properties in their neighborhoods. The team at Abandoned Philadelphia includes vacant property experts and real estate professionals who can identify the source of the blight and, in many cases, clean up the blight through private means.

Ideally, a neighbor will submit the address of a property that is blighting their block and we are able to eliminate the problem either by notifying the owner of the community voices being raised, or otherwise by buying and restoring the property to useful condition, thereby improving the quality of life for the neighborhood.

The properties identified are not for sale (at least not by us, because we don’t own them) and unfortunately we do not obtain vacant properties for folks looking to buy City-owned properties or assist in their transactions. There may be other avenues available for that, perhaps the newly created Land Bank and the Vacant Property Review Committee.

We do sometimes help prospective buyers obtain clean title to abandoned properties in conjunction with a real estate agency that specializes in such transactions, but there are fees involved and the process is often difficult and time-consuming. Anyone wanting information on such services should submit an email to vacant@abandonedphiladelphia.com with property address and contact details.

Oh, and if you’re interested in buying some City-owned property to clean up some blight yourself, check out Philly Landworks.

Filed under: Tools to Fight Blight]]>abandonedphilaWelcome to Philly Landworks!https://abandonedphiladelphia.com/2016/11/14/welcome-to-philly-landworks/
Mon, 14 Nov 2016 19:42:54 +0000http://abandonedphiladelphia.com/?p=208247Continue reading →]]>For all of you who are interested in buying Philadelphia’s city-owned properties, be sure to check out the Philly Landworks site. See below, this is directly from the site:

This is the starting point for purchasing publicly owned property in the City of Philadelphia. From here you can search for available properties, make an offer to buy a property, and track the property you’re interested in buying as it moves through the sale process.

If you are looking for a home to live in, this is not the right resource for you. Nearly all of the properties on this site are vacant lots, and the rest are vacant buildings that will need significant work before someone can live in them. For help on finding a place to live, visit our Frequently Asked Questions.

You can look for properties using our map and list tools or our Search function without registering, but if you want to offer to buy a property you’ll have to create an account.

After years of 311 reports literally nothing has been done to hold the building’s owner accountable for the condition of his property…. The doors and windows laws are not enforced here as they are elsewhere in the city for some reason. Will [this owner] be held accountable at any point or will he be allowed to continue making a mockery of the … system? Thus far it appears to be the latter.

We looked the property up on the OPA and the listed owner is Joseph Gerard Mack. The taxes appear to be paid up to date, and the last transaction was for $1,500 in April 2015, when it was transferred from Jerome Brown Jr., who, curiously, purchased it for the same amount only a month earlier.

Perhaps, dear reader, the problems stem from the previous owner, listed as Bernard J. Mack, who public records show owned it from 1983 to 2015. There are a number of open violations lodged against the property under Mr. Mack’s ownership. Some of these appear to be closed or complied.

We do see several violations recorded in 2016, which appear to not complied as of November 13.

An astute reader submitted an inquiry into this address, as it is clearly blighting the block in this rapidly developing part of Grays Ferry.

Our research shows an interesting story with an uncertain ending. The property was sold in May 2016 to a company called S Knuckles LLC (really!) for $15,000. Seems this LLC is an investor, having six properties in its portfolio, according to the OPA.

Then, in September, the property was sold for $65,000 to Amelia Investors LLC. Not a bad return, $50,000 in four months. I guess that’s why so many people are trying to get into the flipping game.

Amelia is very active, with more than forty properties in their portfolio currently. Although the taxes are paid up, there are some open violations on the property – Unsafe Structure, Vacant and Open, and Exterior Area Weeds. Our guess is that this property will be renovated and sold soon.

The two iconic Divine Lorraine Hotel signs that sit atop the historic building on North Broad Street will light up again on November 9.

“It should be a good time for everyone to come out, and everyone’s invited,” says Chris Cordaro, vice president of EB Realty. “It’ll be an opportunity to strengthen the community message, which is really important to us in our developments along the North Broad corridor.”

The block party event, benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, will take place at the foot of the Divine Lorraine along Melon Street and N. Park Avenue. Expect a sort of autumn festival, with beer garden-style set-ups, corn hole games, and live music. Divine Lorraine merchandise will also be on sale.

The sign-lighting ceremony was originally scheduled for September, but was pushed back as EB Realty waited for permit approval from the city. The November event will take place about 13 months after the Divine Lorraine Hotel groundbreaking for the property’s $44 million restoration.

Speaking of, the Divine Lorraine will not be open during the event. Currently, the lobby is being restored and Cordaro says they don’t have the security capacity to allow public entry.

Filed under: Tools to Fight Blight]]>Divine Lorraine HotelabandonedphilaUPDATE – 3708 Haverford Avenuehttps://abandonedphiladelphia.com/2016/10/31/update-3708-haverford-avenue/
Mon, 31 Oct 2016 17:54:27 +0000http://abandonedphiladelphia.com/?p=208148Continue reading →]]>This address has generated a lot of interest since we posted it in 2013, as the neighborhood is really coming up around it, with both The Promise Zone and Drexel’s expansion.

In April 2016, the property transferred to Westview Development Partners LLC. A google search brought us to the following website, and an entrepreneur named Rick Young. It seems Mr. Young is in the business of improving people’s lives through entrepreneurship and mentoring.

Let’s hope the property provides a fresh start for the local Mantua community and contributes to Philadelphia’s overall growth.

Filed under: Tools to Fight Blight]]>phillypropertyexpert1606-08 Ogden Streethttps://abandonedphiladelphia.com/2016/03/18/1606-08-ogden-street/
Fri, 18 Mar 2016 19:17:34 +0000http://abandonedphiladelphia.com/?p=208018Continue reading →]]>We are pleased to announce that this currently vacant parcel will soon be developed into new, productive housing in this burgeoning Francisville neighborhood. It tool more than a year, but the deeds on these parcels have been cleaned up and sold to local developer Michael Stamm of Patriot Real Estate. Jamie Weiner of Delphi Property Group arranged the sale.

Filed under: Community, Dangerous, Shell Properties, Tax Delinquency, Tools to Fight Blight, Urban Renewal]]>sarrivelloUrban Blight is Still a Problem. The Solution? You.https://abandonedphiladelphia.com/2015/05/06/urban-blight-is-still-a-problem-the-solution-you/
Wed, 06 May 2015 15:20:16 +0000http://abandonedphiladelphia.com/?p=207726Continue reading →]]>Abandoned homes, and urban blight are a huge problem in the city of Philadelphia. This article published by Philly.com about 6 months ago, highlights how gentrification, and urban blight go hand-in-hand. Philadelphia is a city that is constantly changing. Our population is increasing, while our supply of commercial and residential spaces struggles to rise to meet demand.

By recognizing the problem of urban blight, we can report it, and do something about it. I, personally, would like to see Philadelphia become a city that we can all take pride in. Not just a city of socially stratified neighborhoods.

We do not advocate the “hobby” of entering abandoned buildings, as it is illegal and extremely dangerous. Nonetheless, as long as some insist on this activity, there will be records of our abandoned buildings.

What they are, of course, are faded glories some of which will be rescued from demolition as Philadelphia’s development and growth continues. Significantly, both Mt. Sinai and the Dreuding Building have received significant investor interest recently and will likely be developed soon. Ditto the Metropolitan, however, the outlook on that is less certain.

Violations: A total of 6 violations reported on this property a few of these violations relate too: Construction w/o a permit and also Partial Demolition w/o a permit.

This property located in North Philadelphia is a three story row home. From the outside on this property could use numerous renovations to fully complete this as a home. We currently have no eyes on the inside but, with renovations this could be a complete home or a apartment. How would you use the property?

One stop shopping. That is the goal of the bill that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed into law on January 13, 2014, creating the Philadelphia Land Bank. The Land Bank, which is to be fully operational by the end of this year, is intended to streamline and consolidate the process by which the City acquires and sells vacant and tax delinquent properties. The Land Bank will also act as the single repository for the approximately 9,500 vacant and surplus properties currently owned by the City through three separate entities: the City, the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation.

The centralizing of properties under the roof of a single entity should make it easier for buyers to purchase land for single lot development and to assemble multiple tracts for larger projects. While the Land Bank should simplify what was a complicated and confusing process, there will still be a process.

Here are some of the high points of the new law:

The Land Bank can acquire property by donation, gift, purchase or any other legal means, including by tax sale.

The Land Bank Board is comprised of eleven members of varying professional backgrounds, five of whom are appointed by the Mayor, five by majority vote of City Council and one by majority vote of those ten members.

The VRPC, whose chair is appointed by the President of City Council, will consider for the properties proposed for disposition at the public VRPC meetings.

The Land Bank will maintain an up to date inventory of property it owns, and has sold, on its website.

The Land Bank will hold monthly public meetings, and the agenda for those meetings will be available on its website 10 days prior to the meeting.

The Land Bank can request that the City certify, for upset or judicial sale, a property that is both vacant and delinquent as to municipal taxes. Individuals or organizations can make applications to the Land Bank requesting that the Land Bank seek such a certification from the City for a property.

Subject to the prior approval of the Finance Director, the Land Bank can discharge liens and municipal claims, charges or fines against the properties it acquires.

During the time it holds a property, the Land Bank can exempt that property from real estate taxes, water and sewer charges.

Individuals can request notifications from the Land Bank when the status of a property has changed.

Applicants seeking to purchase property from the Land Bank must provide certification from theDepartment of Revenue that it has no tax or water delinquencies, and that all properties owned by the applicant are in compliance with the Philadelphia Zoning Code or are subject to an agreement to come into compliance.

Properties to be sold by the Land Bank will be posted, and public notice given, at least 10 days before the sale, and RCOs whose registered geographic area of concern contains the property will also receive notice.

Reconsideration of decisions of the Land Bank may be requested.

The Land Bank may sell properties for less than fair market value in certain circumstances.

The Land Bank may attach conditions to the sale of a property, such as by deed restriction, restrictive covenant or mortgage.

The Land Bank must prepare an annual strategic plan showing, among other things, the areas in which it will look to acquire properties and for what purpose.

The Land Bank must also prepare an annual performance report listing, among other things, all properties held or reserved for an applicant and how long that hold period will last.

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Southwest Philly has been pouring in with blight. This two story row home has been vacant for half a decade. As you can see the condition isn’t the poorest but this property could use a new landlord. We don’t have any eyes on the inside, but with the taxes paid and some renovations done to the exterior this could be a beauty. What do you guys think ?